England are on course to record their best ever performance in the Nations League, having beaten the Czech Republic 3-0 on Tuesday. Including its inaugural season in 2018/19, the Three Lions have competed in every single Nations League campaign, experiencing some highs and the lowest of lows.
From topping their group and qualifying for the Nations League finals and finishing third to suffering a shock relegation in 2022/23 and then immediate promotion, England have done almost everything except win the competition.
England's path to the knockout stage
Having started the 2026/27 campaign with a loss to Spain, despite leading 2-1 at one stage, England have bounced back in style by beating the Czechs in Prague and then thumping Croatia 7-0 at the weekend to put themselves in a great position to advance to the quarter-finals.
Whether that be as group winners or runners-up will ultimately be determined during the November international break, but Thomas Tuchel's side had positioned themselves well to qualify for the Nations League knockout stage with two games to spare.
How England can qualify for Nations League quarter-final
Victory for England against Czech Republic at Wembley practically guarantees Tuchel's side a top two finish in Nations League A, Group 3, and Croatia's 2-1 defeat by world champions Spain should be enough to see the Three Lions through. They are not technically into the knockout stages just yet, though, but mathematically, it is nigh-on impossible for the Croats to jump above them.
They would need to defeat the Three Lions by eight unanswered goals at Wembley in November to stop Tuchel's men progressing. As such, England, six points clear of their rivals, can pretty much consider themselves qualified for the last eight.
Who can England face in Nations League quarter-final?
The four group winners will face the four runners-up in a two-legged Nations League quarter-final. The group winners will all be seeded and will have home advantage in their respective second leg ties. Teams from the same group cannot be paired together in the knockout stage, therefore England and Spain - for example - would be kept apart.
As things stand, if England finish second in Group 3 their potential Nations League quarter-final opponents would be France, Netherlands or Portugal. Topping the group would set up a possible quarter-final showdown with Italy, Greece or Denmark.
When is the Nations League quarter-final draw?
The draw for the 2026/27 Nations League quarter-final will take place after the league phase concludes in November, with the ties scheduled to take place in March 2027.
